State Of California Department Of Water Resources

The State of California Department of Water Resources (DWR) is a state government entity that operates as a prime recipient on federal water infrastructure, environmental restoration, and emergency management grants, with secondary engagement in federal contracts for specialized water services and facility operations. DWR is a division of the State of California Controllers Office and competes full-and-open (no set-asides) across all award types.

DWR's federal footprint centers on water resource management, hydrological monitoring, ecosystem restoration, and dam safety work funded primarily by the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. As a prime recipient, DWR has secured approximately $9.3 million in combined potential value across 170 awards (144 prime, 26 sub) over recent years, though obligated dollars significantly exceed potential value — a signal of multi-year cooperative agreements and project grants with phased funding. Recent contract work includes a $1.23 million firm fixed-price definitive contract with the Bureau of Reclamation (awarded July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031) for snow surveys and water forecasting services across Central Valley Project reservoirs including Shasta Lake, Folsom Lake, New Melones Lake, and Millerton Lake — work DWR performs as the sole authorized entity under California Water Code Section 228. DWR also holds a $1.985 million purchase order (July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2030) for hydromet station upgrades and maintenance services, and has provided joint operation center security guard services to the Bureau of Reclamation under a sole-source $347,386 purchase order running through March 28, 2027.

The Bureau of Reclamation anchors DWR's customer base, accounting for 53 awards valued at $7.6 million combined potential value — roughly 82% of the identified dollar value across the portfolio. FEMA represents the second-largest customer by volume (67 awards across multiple FEMA line items) but carries minimal potential-value concentration; FEMA funding flows primarily through community assistance, dam safety, and cooperating technical partners programs under CFDA 97.041, 97.023, and 97.045. The Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration has placed 13 small purchase orders ($94 thousand combined) for water wheeling, delivery, and flow measurement system operation and maintenance at San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery. DWR's top five customers account for 81% of recent award count.

Federal grant work dominates DWR's prime recipient activity, with $8 million in habitat restoration funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (CFDA 11.463) for Feather River boulder weir removal, $4.08 million from the Bureau of Reclamation's Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program (CFDA 15.580) for floodplain habitat study and design in Yolo County, $1.4 million from the Bureau of Reclamation under the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CFDA 15.512) for rice field water budget quantification administered with UC Davis, and $650,012 from the National Resources Conservation Service (CFDA 10.904) for Salton Sea Watershed planning and environmental documentation. FEMA grants total over $11.4 million across multiple awards for dam safety rehabilitation, national flood insurance program support, and community assistance. The U.S. Geological Survey awarded $450,500 (CFDA 15.817) for 3D hydrographic mapping of the Feather River Headwaters, with CSU Chico and CSU Northridge designated as sub-awardees. The Bureau of Land Management's Good Neighbor Authority program (CFDA 15.015) provided $110,770 for the Mountain Meadows Restoration Project.

DWR acts as sub-recipient on emergency management grants from the California Office of Emergency Services, receiving pass-through funds for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and flood risk reduction work tied to state disaster declarations. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, acting as pass-through prime, has channeled federal funding to DWR for Yolo Bypass floodplain design work and Sunset Weir removal on the Feather River. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife routed watercraft inspection and decontamination equipment funding through DWR's Oroville Field Division.

DWR's award trajectory shows volatility: 12 awards in 2022, declining to seven in 2023, then accelerating to 29 in 2024, with 11 in 2025 and four awards logged as of October 2026. Nine awards with combined potential value of $347 thousand face ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months and thus face recompete or continuation decisions. NAICS concentration reflects DWR's operational scope — security guard services (8 awards), general government support and professional services (6 awards each), water supply and irrigation systems (4 awards) — with PSC coding emphasizing utilities-water work (8 awards) and equipment maintenance and quality control activities (5 and 4 awards respectively).